Many studies have found there are many benefits in making gratitude as a year-round habit. To enjoy the many mental and physical health benefits of gratitude all it takes is a little bit of introspection. Featured picture: Pexels

Picture 1. Introspection (UnSplash)

Here are 5 surprising benefits from developing an attitude of gratitude:

Benefit #2 – Improved Relationships

Feeling grateful toward your partner, and vice versa can improve many aspects of your relationship. That is according to a recent study published in the Journal of Theoretical Social Psychology. This includes stronger feelings of connection and satisfaction as a couple. Being grateful for each other can help your love life.

Picture 2. A Couple (UnSplash)

Benefit #3 – Improved Sleep

Feeling grateful can help you sleep better and longer. This is most likely because you have more positive thoughts before you go to sleep. It can help to soothe the nervous system. If you are going to make a daily gratitude list, or keep a gratitude journal, studies have shown that it is best to do this right before bed. Read more “5 Essential Health Benefits of Getting Enough Sleep” here.

Benefit #4 – Eases Depression

Gratitude is powerful. Recent studies have shown that by practicing the “three good things” exercise daily you can see considerable improvements in happiness in as little as a few weeks. The activity prompts you to think of three good things or moments that happened during the day.

Benefit #5 – Gives You Happiness that Lasts

Many things can give you a boost of happiness, from a compliment to a sugary treat. Unfortunately, these kinds of instant gratification can disappear and leave you craving more. Gratitude is something that can lead to a much more sustainable form of happiness.

It isn’t based in that immediate gratification, but rather a state of mind. Take the time to express gratitude and thankfulness for the things in your life. You are more than likely to see long-lasting happiness.

Gratitude doesn’t take a lot of fancy equipment to practice. But it can change your life. By taking a few minutes a day to show your thanks, it can have many benefits on BOTH your MENTAL and PHYSICAL health.

Picture 3. Show Your Thanks (Pixabay)

Before reading more how to cultivate gratitude, let us watch a video below:

While facing the pressures and demands of your daily lives, it can be challenging to stop and think about what you are grateful for in your lives. When you can stop and show gratitude for what you have, you will experience amazing benefits.

Some people believe that if they possessed more things or had better luck they would be more grateful. But, the number of things that you accumulate will not affect your attitude.

We can cultivate gratitude as an attitude no matter our current situation. Here are twelve tips for cultivating appreciation and boosting your happiness.

1. Pause and Look Around

A simple way to cultivate a habit of gratitude is to take a moment during your day. Ask yourself what you can be grateful for in your life and who are three people that you can be grateful to have in your life and why.

Don’t get hung up on the numbers. If you can only think of one person, that’s okay. The critical thing to remember is to take a few moments and think about what you’re thankful for in your life.

Picture 4. Family (Pexels)

2. Look Toward Yourself

Take a look at yourself. When you can cultivate a habit of being appreciative and grateful to yourself, you can notice a significant boost in your self-esteem and self-confidence.

Remember, your self-gratitude doesn’t have to only be about your achievements but can also be about the qualities you have.

3. Think About What You Take for Granted

You don’t have to only focus on the big and obvious things that you have to be grateful for in your life. Also, think about the smaller things that you have to be thankful for.

Open your eyes to the little, daily things that you have to appreciate allows you to see more of the simple beauty in life.

Take a moment to notice your day-to-day world from the point of gratitude. Start looking at things from the point of gratitude. Amaze at all the goodness in your life that you have been taking for granted.

Picture 5. Appreciate The Little Daily Things (Pixabay)

4. Do it Early or Late

The only way you can make a habit of gratitude is to stick with it. Do not allow it to become one of those things that you forget about.

To make gratitude a habit, it is best to take a minute in the morning. Find three things, big or small, that you are grateful for in your life. Then, every evening, spend a couple of minutes writing down three to five things that you are thankful for about your day.

5. Start a Gratitude Journal

Take a few moments every day to jot down five things that you are grateful for in your life. These things can range from being thankful for waking up in the morning, feeling rested to getting to work on time.

Spend a moment to feel how blessed you are. Allow that feeling to propel you toward greatness for the rest of the day.

Keep a gratitude journal. Keeping a gratitude journal requires nothing more than taking a few moments at the end of the day.

Write down the things that you are grateful for in your life. You don’t even need to buy a fancy notebook to start seeing the benefits.

6. Live The Present Time to The Fullest

Stop and smell the flowers. Change the way you think about your day by stopping and smelling the flowers for a moment. Try to catch yourself before you get overwhelmed with negative thoughts or feelings.

Take a walk and feel grateful for those things around you like the trees provide oxygen around you. This simple activity can give you the opportunity to view a stressful situation in a new way.

Picture 6. Stop and Smell The Flower (Pixabay)

7. Find Something Positive in the Negative

Before you get upset about what seems to be a difficult situation, take a moment to shift that negative thought into one that is positive.

If you’re stuck in what seems like never-ending traffic, look at it as a chance to meditate or get into a calmer state before getting home.

When you are dealing with a difficult situation, it can be challenging to see the positive. This is where being grateful can help.

It doesn’t mean that you are grateful for the difficulties. But instead, you should be showing gratitude for the positive things that are going on in your life even if they are small.

Gratitude can help you see your current situation in a way that can lessen the panic. It opens your thinking to new solutions to your problems.

If you identify something or someone in your life with a negative trait, switch that trait in your mind to a more positive one

For example: if you associate your work conference room as the cold room, start thinking of it as the conference room with the great view instead. But it is better if you can do something to make the room temperature comfortable for the conference participants. Otherwise, you should wear suitable clothing.

8. Go a Day Without Complaining

Set a new pattern in your life by abstaining from complaining for an entire day. Work to find one good thing among the dozen negative things that might affect you throughout the day. Allow yourself to transform into this new attitude.

Make a vow not to criticize, complain, or gossip for a week. If you slip, rally your willpower and keep moving forward. Take the time to notice how much energy you were spending every day on negative thoughts.

Picture 7. Abstain from Complaining (UnSplash)

9. Give a Genuine Compliment

Every day, give at least one compliment. This can either be kind or by sharing your appreciation of something in your life. This can be as simple as saying, “I love how you always here for your wife and your daughters/sons”.

Share your kindness and authentic praise with someone around you, whether it’s a friend or a stranger. Not only will this spread the love to another person, but it will also uplift you and push you to focus on the good. It allows you to build a stronger relationship.

By integrating some of these exercises of gratitude into your daily life, you will learn what will allow you to continue to be thankful for each day.

10. Express Your Gratitude

To boost your happiness, you need to express your gratitude. Make other people in your life happier by showing how you are grateful for having them in your life. Not only will this put a smile on their face, but it will also make you happier.

It doesn’t have to take a ton of time or effort to make gratitude a habit. Taking even small steps to show your appreciation can boost your happiness.

11. To Practice and Enjoy Gratitude, You Also Have to Practice Humility

Humility is being modest and respectful. Take some time to explore how you can fit humility into your life.

12. When You Find Yourself in A Difficult Situation, Ask Yourself What You Can Learn

Think about when you look back on the situation, without emotion, what you will be grateful for. You don’t need any specialized equipment to practice gratitude. All you need to do is use your head and your heart.

Picture 9. Use Your Head and Your Heart to Cultivate Gratitude

What things are you grateful for today? How do you express your gratitude? Please add your comment and I will be more than happy reply to your comment.

And please share this article if you think it can help people to practice gratitude. Sharing is caring.

This article caught and held my attention for awhile. Just yesterday, a friend and I were saying that gratitude has become a stranger to many and the word has become foreign to many. Thank you for highlighting this, especially as we get closer to the festive season. Gratitude makes me happy, whether I am the grateful one, or if someone expresses it to me. Wow! It’s powerful.

Would it be possible for you to say a bit more about gratitude and patience? Is it because it allows me to think and in a sense I am buying some time? Don’t laugh. Help me with some more of your thoughts.

I agree that gratitude can improve our intimate relationship, but I see where it enhances all my relations and so the benefit is a domino effect. When I express gratitude, it make others happier and they spread the joy.

I can offer my experience bit on gratitude and sleep. I call it my “sleeping pill.” Whenever I recall the things for which I am grateful, especially at nights, with all the lights out, I fall asleep thinking about and sometimes making my mental list. I also feel more peaceful when I awake. I give you 100% for this point. Thanks. No need for sleeping pills, just be grateful.

The video gave me a nice idea. I will start writing gratitude e-mails and texts. I trust that others in Cyber-world will join in this mission.

Allow me to pause, look within myself and to express from a heart of gratitude how happy I am that you took the time to research and write this article. Melani, I am grateful that you took the time and I have already sent the article to some friends. Thank you.

Hi, Josephine. You are so sweet. Thank you for your “gratitude as the sleeping pill” sharing. Gratitude drives us to focus on the good things while trying the best to make the improvement. We will be more patient but keep doing the efforts to reach our goals. Faith, hope, and love are the keywords. Thank you very much for your kind comment.

As someone who has suffered with a chronic illness for over 10 years now I often find myself sucked into a blackhole of negativity that I feel I can never escape. For that reason, I try my hardest to be grateful for everything that I do have and I’m often regarded as optimistic and positive despite my condition. I really enjoyed reading your article and I am going to try your day without complaining this week. Thank you so much for your inspiring post 🙂

Hi, Celeste. I believe that you have been doing many efforts to overcome your chronic illness. Have you tried yoga to relieve the chronic illness? Yoga has been documented in relieving chronic pain among many other physical hinderances. Sincerely, Melani

Hello Melani! I came across your site when I was doing research on depression and other modern lifestyle problems we face and I must say that it has superb content and you add value to our lives.

I would like to add one more benefit of gratitude. It lowers down your blood pressure and enables yourself to keep cool in all situations. You tend to react less to adverse stimuli and think before you act.

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